


Paladins in New York

by writingwhimseys



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Multi, Not overly romantic, a couple OCs likely, day tri AU, lots of good ol friendship and mischief, parings will change and will be slow burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-25
Updated: 2018-01-25
Packaged: 2019-03-09 06:38:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,122
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13475811
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writingwhimseys/pseuds/writingwhimseys
Summary: Allura suspects the Paladins are homesick, so she decides it's time to attempt a visit to Earth. Of course, chaos has a bad habit of following the Voltron crew wherever they go. What will happen when five Paladins and an Altean princess visit the Big Apple? Possible pairings, multi-chapter, day-trip AU, rated T just in case.





	1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own V:LD, Netflix, or any of that ish.

\--------------------

**Prologue**

Life wasn't all fun and games aboard the palace for the Paladins of Voltron. There was the obvious whole fighting-the-Galra-empire thing, which tended to be the prevailing problem they dealt with. However, the intergalactic war they were fighting wasn't the only thing on their minds.

Slowly, as time went on and Allura began to get to know her human companions better, she could sense a weight that settled in them over time. She could see it in Lance as he stared out windows into space, his trademark grin nowhere to be found. She saw it in Hunk, trying to cook with the ingredients they had on board and sighing when everything came out looking the same. She saw it in Keith's ceaseless training, heard it in Pidge's midnight conversations with Rover when she thought no one could hear them, and, though Shiro put up a good front, Allura caught a glimpse of it every time they discussed their next move farther into the galaxy. It didn't take long to figure out what was behind it.

They were homesick.

For Allura and Coran, no matter how far they travelled, they were always home. The palace was all that was left. Yes, it wasn't their planet and yes, they were the last Alteans alive, but being the last of your kind and being separated from your kind were two different things. Coran and Allura had made peace with their situation, but it wasn't the same for their human friends.

A few months into their fight with Zarkon, Allura brought up the topic with Coran as they were running diagnostics in the control room, the Paladins out on a training exercise.

"Coran, have you noticed anything strange about the paladins lately?" Allura asked, watching the ginger-haired Altean type away at his keyboard. Coran nodded absently.

"You mean the moodiness- the lagging-behind, the clamminess they all seem to have?" Coran replied, pausing with a frown. "Well, the over-moodiness in Keith's case."

"I think they're homesick." Allura said, working at her own controls. "We've been away from Earth for some time now. They've all got families they left behind, lives that they dropped because of becoming Paladins." Coran nodded again.

"They left a lot of stuff behind to form Voltron, not the least of which is their lives. We've essentially ripped them away from their people, their culture, their futures on Earth- everything!" Coran said, his voice tipping up. Allura frowned as she continued.

"Do you think there's a way we could bring them back to Earth for a visit while avoiding discovery? Maybe a short visit would help them feel more…at home with their mission." At this, Coran paused, quirking his mustache and looking at Allura quizzically.

"Well, we'd need to disguise them a bit, just in case anyone is looking for them. We'd have to keep the ship a fair distance away from the planet to avoid being spotted. If they took one of the lions with them and visited a less conspicuous destination…it might work."

\--------------------

"We're going back to Earth?" Hunk exclaimed, his eyes wide. The crew had gathered in the lounge area after Allura had called for a meeting. Now, the rest of the Paladins mirrored his surprise to varying degrees after hearing Allura and Coran's suggestion of a visit to Earth. Lance immediately piped up, his excitement evident.

"We should totally go to Hawaii! The surf, the sand, the sun, the ladies…" He said, wiggling his eyebrows for dramatic effect. Pidge elbowed him in the side, and Lance yelped. Shiro frowned, looking concerned.

"How are we going to get around wherever we visit without being recognized? Pidge, Lance, and Hunk all just disappeared from the Garrison, and Keith and I would definitely attract attention if we were spotted." At this, Coran raised a finger imperiously.

"Ah, see, that's where we come in." Quick as a wink, Coran pulled a silver ring that resembled a choker and snapped it around Lance's neck. Not expecting Coran's actions, Lance gagged and immediately pulled at the contraption.

"What the quiznak is this thing?" He yelled, trying to jam his fingers between the ring and his skin. Coran batted his fingers away.

"Hold still, Lance!" He scolded, prodding a button on the side of the ring. Instantly, Lance's appearance changed- his eyes shrunk, his chin broadened, and his face widened ever so slightly. It was still Lance's face, but it was as if one was looking at him through a distortion filter. Pidge gasped, examining the collar around Lance's neck.

"Wow! How did it do that?" She asked, peering at Lance's collar, the wearer of which was squirming a bit under everyone's stares. Allura crossed her arms, smiling.

"It's a disguise simulator. It generates a constant hologram image that takes one's facial structure and changes it just enough to render face recognition detection useless. I used some spare hologram technology to put them together this morning." Allura explained. "They won't be very helpful when you are infiltrating a Galra ship but, amongst others of your own kind, they may just do the trick." A series of murmurs and grunts sounded from the Paladins as they listened. Keith glanced up at Allura, still unsure.

"Do you really think this is going to work?" At this, Allura shrugged.

"If you want the honest truth, I'm not completely sure. But I think if we take the necessary precautions and we are careful, we should be fine. With this in mind," Allura continued, her eyes narrowing, "you all have to promise me that you will take the utmost care when you're on Earth not to be conspicuous and to be cautious. Is that understood?" The princess looked to each one of the Paladins in turn for a response. Both Pidge and Keith nodded, while Hunk's face lit up with a wide grin.

"Of course! We'll be on our guard at all times!" Hunk assured Allura, his mind quickly trailing off. "Oh, I can't wait to have Earth food again! Pizza, dim sum, steak…Not that the food here hasn't been great and all, really. It's just…" He closed his eyes in rapture. "…Real food. Oh, oh yeah. I'm excited." Lance smirked at Hunk's reaction.

"This'll be a piece of cake- we'll be there and back, no problem." Lance said, leaning back on the couch. Three Paladins down, Shiro, who had been quiet the whole time, sat back as well. Some of the stiffness that was characteristic of him was gone and he looked almost relaxed at the idea of visiting Earth.

"As long as we are all careful, we can make this work." He said, glancing down the line at the Paladins, before turning back to Allura. "Where were you thinking of visiting?"

"Well, Coran and I did some research by locking onto some covert networks via Earth and masking our own signature. We found a city that is far away from the Garrison, busy enough and with enough people to mask ourselves effectively, and seems to be quite popular." She smiled and, walking over to a nearby screen, pulled up a photo of a metropolitan skyline dotted with buildings, a spindly tower spire, and a statue of a woman holding a golden-flamed torch.

"We'll be stopping in New York City."


	2. And They're Off!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which our heroes get their first taste of the city.

Disclaimer: I don't own or am affiliated with V:LD or Netflix.

\--------------------

**And They're Off!**

"Oh, yeah." Hunk closed his eyes, letting the smell of fresh air and old leaves wash over him and the sunlight dapple his cheeks with warmth. "It's good to be home."

The Paladins had landed in a wooded area a few miles out of upstate New York after having done some inconspicuous recon of the area the day before. Not for the first time, Pidge's tech had saved the day- the cloaking device of the green lion allowed the Paladins to enter Earth's atmosphere and land without being spotted. Before they had landed in New York, however, Pidge and Keith had made a covert trip back to Keith's desert hideout to grab supplies and some backup cash that Keith had hidden away for emergencies. They couldn't stick around and explore, as they were still too close to the Garrison for comfort, but now, the crew was armed with spare Earth clothing and money to get them started in New York. Coran had kindly offered to stay with the ship for security purposes, which left the Princess free to make the trip to Earth with the Paladins.

As the whole crew unloaded in the woods, the Paladins let out a collective sigh of relief. Lance stretched his lanky limbs out towards the sky and groaned happily.

"Back on good ol' Earth." He said as his arms waved in the air. Keith, all business, looked around, his hands on his hips.

"So where are we going from here?" He asked Shiro, who stood beside him. The Paladins' leader looked strangely out of place in a pale grey knit sweater, leather motorcycle gloves, and scuffed jeans. He wasn't the only one who looked different- the rest of the crew were clad in an assortment of clothing scrounged from their collective closets and Keith's back-up supplies. Coran and Allura had helped as well, lending them what they had to fill in the gaps. They couldn't take the risk that someone had put out missing persons' alerts for Lance, Pidge, and Hunk, and that someone would recognize them in the Earth clothing they'd left in, so the whole crew had taken precautions and dressed differently.

At that moment, Allura emerged from the green lion in a simple shift dress and sandals, her eyes wide with curiousity as she looked around. Pidge followed her, looking somewhat grumpy.

"I still don't get why I can't wear pants." She said, motioning to the green skirt that Allura had altered for her. Lance smirked down at her as he adjusted the collar of his blue hoodie.

"Because we're trying to blend in and none of our pants fit you. Besides, you're a girl, y'know. Girls wear skirts." Lance replied snottily. Pidge frowned and made a motion as if to whack him. As Lance jumped back instinctively, Pidge raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, well, you sound like a girl when you scream, and I don't see you wearing one." She deadpanned. Just as Lance frowned and started to make a comeback, Shiro cut him off and motioned for everyone's attention.

"Alright, listen up. I'm going to go ahead and walk into the nearby town. There's a car rental place there. I'll be back in a half hour." He eyed Lance pointedly as he continued. "No funny business while I'm gone. Also, everyone should flip on their hologram devices." Leading by example, Shiro reached under the neck of his sweater and turned his on, the rest of the Paladins doing so as well. As they looked around at each other, Hunk began to laugh.

"This is so weird. Dude, your face looks chubby now." He said, pointing at Keith. Keith frowned and turned to Allura.

"How do these work, exactly?" He asked.

"Basically, the device takes the dimensions of your face and enlarges the parts of your face that are narrower and shrinks the parts that are broader. This changes the measurement ratios of your face and makes it harder for software to recognize you." Allura replied, pausing to shrug. "Someone who knows you may still recognize you, but a computer system scanning faces purely based on symmetry may not." At her explanation, Shiro looked impressed.

"That's pretty smart, actually." He said, causing Allura to smile benignly. Hands on his hips, the leader turned to back to the group.

"Remember, while we're here, everyone has to be on their best behavior. Okay, team?"

\--------------------

"Are we there yet?"

"No."

"Look- people!"

"Hey, I can see the skyline from here!"

"Didn't they have a bigger car than this at the rental place?"

"...This is a minivan, Keith."

"Guys, I need to use the washroom."

"Not now, Lance!"

Sitting in the driver's seat, Shiro held his tongue and tried to block out the bickering of the passengers behind him. Allura sat in the seat over, looking out the window, while the other Paladins took up the rest of the car. It was clear from the beginning who would be driving- after all, Shiro was the oldest human of them and arguably the most experienced driver (as piloting didn't count). Still, even separated from the din behind him, Shiro's nerves were starting to fray a bit. Before he could say anything, however, Allura's voice rose, drowning out the arguing.

"That's enough, Paladins! Either you quiet down and get along or I will have Shiro pull over this craft right now and we will turn around!" At Allura's stern words, all four Paladins stopped talking and silence filled the car. Shiro glanced over at Allura, whose features were pulled into a frown. Although she had the appearance of a human- she had camouflaged her ears and Altean face markings, as well as turning her silvery hair black- she was no less imposing than usual. In the midst of the quiet pause, Lance's voice carried across the car, stage-whisper style.

"Okay, Mom." At this, Hunk and Pidge struggled to hide their laughter behind her hands, Keith frowned, Lance's face split into a devious grin, and both Shiro and Allura turned their attention abruptly elsewhere. Before anyone could comment, however, Pidge's face lit up and she pointed out the window.

"We're almost there!"

Slowly, the car approached the outskirts of the city, weaving through traffic as Shiro got the hang of navigating the crowded streets. As the minivan began to encounter heavier traffic, a stream of steady backseat driving began ("Shiro, you just cut that guy off!" "Cut me a bit of slack, Lance- I haven't driven a car in a while. Space is never this crowded."), but as the city grew closer, the talking slowly died down. The passengers all looked out the windows eagerly as Shiro maneuvered the car towards Manhattan, eventually passing through the Lincoln Tunnel and emerging on the other side. Immediately, it was if the car had entered another world; buildings rose up around them, the streets bustled with people, and the noise was deafening- people shouting, cars honking, construction hammering away, bits of music floating by, and a general sense of white noise all filtered into the car as the entourage drove up and down the streets, looking for somewhere to park.

Eventually, Shiro managed to find a parking garage and secure a spot. After a good amount of wrangling and directing, which involved Hunk getting his foot stuck in his seatbelt and Allura triple-checking the car's locking systems, the crew unloaded and found their way to the street.

Out on the sidewalk, the Paladins and the princess collected in a group. For a moment, everyone simply stood in silence and stared at the city around them.

"After being in space for so long, being around so many people feels...strange." Keith said, his voice quiet. The rest of the Paladins nodded in agreement. Allura's eyes were wide as she looked up and down the street.

"It's so different from the places we've visited so far. Much busier." Allura said. Sniffing the air, her nose crinkled and she frowned. "...And a bit smellier." Beside her, Shiro turned to the Paladins.

"Alright, we've got limited time here. What does everyone want to do?" He asked. Lance was the first to speak.

"We're in New York! We should be seeing the town, taking in the sites, mingling with the locals- there's gotta be something going on around here we can get in on," Lance said. Beside him, Keith crossed his arms pensively.

"I just want to look around. I don't really have an agenda." He said. Lance scoffed.

"Boooring." He said, making a face at Keith. As Keith frowned and turned his attention away from the group, Pidge piped up.

"I wanted to make a quick stop for some tech- I need an adapter for that video game we bought at that space mall." She said. Suddenly, a loud growl rang out. Hunk looked down at his noisy stomach and grinned.

"I think my stomach's making it pretty clear what I'm here for." The rest of the group laughed. Shiro rummaged around in the bag he carried on his hip and pulled out three communication devices.

"Alright, let's split up. Pidge and Lance, you go together, and Hunk and Keith, you pair up. Allura and I will be a third group." Shiro ignored Pidge, who began to complain about being stuck with Lance, and handed one of the devices to each group. "These are comms that work like hand-held radios- we'll use them to keep in touch. Meet back here in two hours." He said, checking the watch he had borrowed from Keith. "That'll be at about 12:15, alright?"

Immediately, Hunk and Keith took off down the street, the former nattering on eagerly about pizza and the latter following silently. Pidge and Lance set off in the opposite direction, with the Green Paladin in search of the nearest shopping mall. Suddenly by themselves, Shiro and Allura turned to each other.

"Well, Princess," said Shiro, "what would you like to do first?"


	3. You Have To Adapt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Pidge and Lance are on a mission and will stop at nothing! (Well, Lance won't.)

Disclaimer: I do not own and am not affiliated with V:LD or Netflix.

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**You Have To Adapt**

"Soooooo, do you know where we're going?" Lance asked, scepticism tainting his voice. "I'm pretty sure we've passed that building before."

Lance and Pidge trailed down the street, Pidge's eyes focused on the tablet she held out in front of her eyes as she examined a map of the city. As he followed the Green Paladin, Lance looked up at the skyscrapers and store fronts around them.

"There's tons of shops to look at, Pidge- we should stop and look around a bit." He noted. Pidge didn't respond, her brow furrowed and eyes scrunched. Lance raised an eyebrow and leaned towards her as they walked.

"Whatcha looking for, anyway?" He asked. Finally, Pidge grumbled a response.

"There's an electronics store around here that sells specialty parts. I looked up the adaptor I need for the game system we got at the space mall, and no other stores carry stuff that old except this place." After a moment, Pidge looked up, her eyes searching the surroundings before a smile erupted on her face.

"There it is," she said enthusiastically as she approached a store just down the road, wedged between the tall buildings. Lance eyed the store with some trepidation as they stood before it. To Lance, it made sense that Pidge would be looking for old equipment at the store because the place itself looked ancient. Grimy windows faced the sidewalk, showing off displays of battered consoles and cords, and the store's sign was all faded paint and weathered metal. Despite the shop's appearance, Pidge appeared undeterred; marching up to the door, she entered the shop, Lance right behind her.

Inside, the air was musty and carried the scent of old socks and cleaning supplies. At the front of the store sat an old man, white-haired and clad in a woolen cardigan, who nodded at them as they entered. After returning the nod, Pidge immediately began her hunt, walking up and down the narrow aisles of the shop and rummaging through boxes. Lance waited near the door, his nose wrinkling at the smell of the shop as he slowly looked around, taking in the retro junk that littered the place.

"This place hasn't seen the light of this century..." He muttered under his breath. After a few minutes, an excited shout sounded from one of the aisles and Lance turned to see Pidge approach the front of the store, a black corded box dangling from her hands.

"I found the adaptor." Pidge said with a grin. "I'll have to modify it a bit to make it compatible with the, uh..." She paused, glancing to the side at the old man before continuing. "...the technology we have to work with, but I think it'll do." Walking over to the cash register, she put the adapter on the counter. With a critical eye, the old man looked at the adaptor and then at Pidge.

"Twenty-five dollars." He said, his voice deep and firm. Pidge's jaw dropped and her smile was replaced with a look of confusion.

"Twenty-five dollars? But this adaptor is so old! You can barely find these things anymore, they're so useless!" She exclaimed. The old man's expression was devoid of emotion, but there was a mischievous gleam in his eye as he replied.

"You're here, trying to buy it, no? It must not be that useless if you want it." He picked up a cloth and began to polish his register.

"Twenty-five dollars." He repeated. Pidge frowned and pulled out the cash she'd gotten from Shiro. Quickly counting it, she sighed.

"I don't have nearly enough." She said. Lance rummaged around in his pocket and pulled out his money as well, counting it along with Pidge's.

"Well, together, we have twenty dollars." He said, turning to the old man and holding out the money. "Would you take twenty?" The old man glanced at the money and then at the two of them, saying nothing, before turning back to his polishing. With a groan, Pidge took her money back from Lance and stuffed it in her pocket, moving towards the door. As Lance moved to follow her, he paused for a moment, an idea floating into his head. Moving past Pidge, Lance left the shop and paused out on the sidewalk, looking around. A steady stream of people passed by him on the pavement, the busy street littered with cars. Lance smiled to himself.

"Perfect." He said, as Pidge caught up to him. Pidge's frown deepened. Lance said nothing for a moment, simply lifting a finger as if to tell her to wait. Grabbing the cadet cap he'd borrowed from Keith off his head and holding it out in front of him, he began to sing.

His arms spread out, Lance serenaded the passersby with a classic jazz tune, a slick smile on his face. Pidge watched the Blue Paladin with surprise, her eyes wide. Lance was a performer by nature- that much had always seemed true- but Pidge had never guessed he was actually good at performing. His voice was smooth and easy; every now and then, Pidge would catch a note that didn't sound quite right, but they never affected Lance, who paid no mind and kept singing. As Lance transitioned from crooning jazz to a popular showtune, Pidge began to notice the people passing by walking slower, a few even pausing to listen. Suddenly, a little girl stepped forward, shyly dropping a dollar in Lance's cap. Giving a wink to the girl, who giggled and ran back to her mother, Lance turned to Pidge with a sneaky grin.

"One dollar down, four more to go." Before Pidge had time to reply, Lance turned to the sparse crowd and, placing his hat on the ground, began to sing an Latin tune. Pidge thought she recognized the song, with its lilting words and gentle rhythm, but she couldn't be sure. Suddenly, with a twirl and a twist, Lance stopped in front of Pidge and offered her his hand. Pidge frowned, glaring at Lance. Lance cocked an eyebrow slyly, silently daring her to join. After a moment, Pidge let out a deep breath and took Lance's outstretched hand, letting him lead her into the clearing.

"Just follow my lead." Lance said in a near whisper, before lightly placing his hand on her waist and leading her through the steps of a dance. Given that Pidge was significantly shorter than Lance, there was a bit of a height handicap to work with, but it didn't stop Lance from guiding Pidge with relative ease. As they danced, Pidge could feel the eyes of the small crowd on her- attention didn't typically bother her, but dancing wasn't her forte and she was all too aware of this. Lance seemed to sense this, however, and he shot Pidge a reassuring smile. After a verse or two of the song, Lance paused. Releasing his partner, he bowed to Pidge and, with a wink at the Green Paladin, offered his hand to a lady in the crowd. Happy to be back in the audience, Pidge watched amusedly as Lance continued his performance, dancing with spectators and keeping the crowd's eyes on him. As the minutes passed, Pidge noticed the cadet hat slowly filling with change.

After about fifteen minutes, Lance, having cycled through a number of songs, ended his performance to a round of modest applause. As the listeners dispersed, Lance grabbed his cap from the ground and approached Pidge with a smug smile.

"I think this should cover things," he said with an air of superiority, shaking the cap and causing the coins inside to jingle. Pidge crossed her arms.

"I have to admit, I'm impressed. I didn't know you could sing and dance like that," Pidge remarked. Lance shrugged.

"What can I say- I'm a man of many talents." Lance replied, wiggling his eyebrows. At this, Pidge rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, sure." She shot back. Pidge opened her mouth to say something else when, with an omious crackle, a muffled stream of white noise sounded nearby. For a split second, the Paladins looked around for the source of the noise before Podge remembered the radio in her backpack. Pulling off her pack and taking out the radio, which was spitting static rather loudly, Pidge eyed the device with a frow. Slowly, she turned the device over, with Lance looking on confusedly.

"What's wrong with it?" Lance asked.

"I don't know. Give me a minute." Pidge replied. As Lance wandered off, Pidge examined the radio, popping the panel of the back and checking the battery compartment and wiring.

"Naturally, the tech person's radio would be the busted one," Pidge grumbled under her breath as she worked. Finding no wiring problems, she replaced the cover and checked the small display screen. Although Allura had indicated that the device wasn't complicated to use, it still took a bit of time to figure out how to navigate the device interface. With a bit of finagling, Pidge began to change the device frequency. Slowly, the static noise began to shift and the sound of voices became clearer.

"...to speak cl-...I can't...anyone close by..." A few words were clear enough to be understood, and Pidge recognized the familiar tones of Hunk and Shiro.

"Lance!" Pidge looked around and spotted the Blue Paladin adjusting his backpack. At Pidge's insistence, Lance jogged over, eyes wide.

"Is it working?" Lance asked. Pidge nodded quickly as she continued to adjust the comm frequency.

"I can hear Hunk and Shiro! Hold on-" Pidge said, jimmying with the comm controls. Suddenly, the static dulled and Hunk's voice rang clear through the comm.

"We're at Central Park right now! Just- can someone get over here, please? Quickly!?"

Pidge and Lance looked at each other, worry passing over their faces in turn, the same thought in their minds. Not a moment later, both paladins had grabbed their packs and thrust them over their shoulders. Pidge quickly typed on her tablet, her eyes scanning the screen. Seconds passed tensely as she waited for a map to pull up and, when one did, she let out a triumphant yell.

"Central Park!" Her head whipped up, looking at the street signs nearby.

"This way! Come on!" Pidge shouted as she took off running down the street, Lance close behind.


	4. A Moment in Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Allura is a tourist and Shiro is a tacky tourist in the best way.

Disclaimer: I am in no way affiliated or associated with V:LD, its creators, or Netflix.

\--------------------

**A Moment in Time**

"So this is what Earth is like." Allura said, her gaze roving the streets and the skybound faces of the buildings they passed. The pair were walking down a busy street headed southeast, taking in the city with no particular destination. Beside the princess, Shiro nodded aimlessly, his own eyes watching the surroundings as well.

"In some areas, maybe. New York happens to be one of this country's most influential and populous cities, so it's a lot bigger than most places. If you want a snapshot of the kinds of people who live on Earth, however, there's probably no better place to be." He said.

"Your planet is so different than the places we've visited. There's so much happening everywhere you look. It's a bit overwhelming." Allura replied, her voice pensive. Her words could hardly be denied; New York City was nothing like the dark, empty void of space that the palace dwellers had grown used to. The sun beat down on Shiro and Allura's heads, refracting and reflecting off the windows and walls of the city and hitting the pavement with white-hot intensity. The sunshine and damp heat, combined with the streams of people, swells of traffic, and swarms of smells and sounds that filled the air, made the city feel like a place worlds away from the calm of the stars.

As the pair waited at a crosswalk (a city feature that Allura had learned about first-hand earlier when a car nearly ran her over as she crossed the road), Allura turned to the Black Paladin.

"So where should we go?" She asked, a kind of curious excitement in her eyes. Shiro cocked his head thoughtfully.

"I don't know, to be honest. I've never been here before, either." Shiro said. At this, Allura frowned.

"Well, you know something about New York, yes? There has to be somewhere interesting we can go." She stated, pursing her lips. "When you think of New York, what's the first place that comes to mind?"

For a moment, Shiro stood in the middle of the sidewalk, deep in thought. After a few seconds, he turned to Allura with a smile.

"I've got an idea." He said simply, before taking off down the street again, Allura close behind.

"Shiro, where are we going?" Allura asked as she walked beside the Black Paladin. The pair had been walking for a short while after Shiro had ducked into a store to get directions. In response to Allura's question, Shiro shook his head slightly, his usual calm assurance having returned to his face and gait.

"I'm still not telling you, Princess. It has to be a surprise." He replied, which elicited a grumpy frown from Allura.

"I don't understand." The princess said in response, as the pair weaved their way through the pedestrians they passed. When Shiro didn't respond, Allura huffed and lent her attention to the city around her.

After another minute of walking, Shiro paused and turned to Allura. Just beyond Shiro, light and sound spilled from around a street corner a few paces away. Noticing this, Allura curiously quirked an eyebrow at Shiro.

"Are we here?" She asked. Shiro nodded, a bright smile lighting up his face, and led Allura down the street. As soon as they passed around the corner, both Shiro and Allura slowed to a stop. They stood at the entrance of a looming corridor of light, where neon colors flashed on giant screens that stretched up and across buildings and shed their rays onto the ground below. People milled around the area, performers, peddlers, and passersby creating a mass of bodies that added human noise to the sounds of cars, music, and shoes on pavement. Breathtaking in its own grungy way, the open space was abuzz with activity made even more chaotic by the lights above. If the showy, grubby glamour of the city had a heart, surely, this had to be it.

Standing beside Allura, Shiro set his hands on his hips, his face triumphant.

"Welcome to Times Square." He said. Allura looked around, her eyes wide.

"It's incredible." She breathed. For a moment, the pair stood in silence, simply observing the street before them. After a few seconds, Allura looked over at Shiro excitedly.

"Shall we explore a bit?" She asked happily. Shiro nodded and followed her into the fray of people in Times Square. Moving forward through the crowds proved to be easier than they had expected, though they bumped shoulders with many a person as they did so. As they crossed a street, near the middle of the square, Allura looked down the road curiously.

"What are all those?" She asked, pointing to the theater marquees down the street, their lights glittering in unmistakable gold even in the sunlight.

"Those are theaters for shows that happen here. New York is world-famous for its productions." Shiro explained. Allura's eyes lit up.

"How wonderful! If only we had more time, maybe we could've seen one..." She exclaimed, clasping her hands in excitement. Shiro simply chuckled amusedly.

As they walked, Allura began to frown.

"You know, it's been a while since we last ate and I'm starting to get hungry. Perhaps there's somewhere we could find some Earthen food." Allura's frown disappeared at the prospect, her voice curious. "I have always wanted to try something from your planet."

Shiro's brow furrowed as he thought for a moment. Only seconds passed before he came out of his thoughts, a content smile on his face.

"I know just the thing." He said.

Ten minutes later, Shiro and Allura sat on a stone bench, Shiro having just returned from hunting out food. Slowly, Allura unwrapped the paper bundle that Shiro had handed to her and stared down at its contents

"What is this?" She asked confusedly.

"It's called a cheeseburger. They're a pretty common food here." Shiro said, before motioning to the food resting between them on the bench. "These are french fries and soda- they're also pretty popular." Shiro bit into his own burger, his eyes closing as he ate.

"I haven't had food like this in so long," he said after he swallowed, taking another bite. Allura held her burger to her nose, sniffing it and making a face before she attempted a bite, hesitant satisfaction flashing across her face as she chewed. Focusing on their food, the pair ate in silence, watching the city around them. As she tried one of the fries, Allura glanced over at Shiro, who was leaning back on the bench, his face relaxed as he enjoyed his meal. At this, Allura smiled.

"I think this is the most relaxed I've ever seen you, Shiro." She said. Shiro glanced at her, smiled peacefully.

"To be honest, this is the most relaxed I've been in a long time." He replied with a chuckle. "I'm back on Earth, no Galra after me, no one chasing enemies or fighting. Everything feels..." Shiro paused, his voice trailing off for a moment as he thought about what to say. "...It feels normal. That's something I haven't had for a long time. It's a good feeling."

Allura nodded in understanding, as they fell silent again, content to listen to the sounds of the street around them. However, the chaotic peace lasted mere seconds. After a moment, the radio on Shiro's belt came to life, static buzzing as a voice began to speak.

"Hello? Guys? Um, we could really use your help right now, I'm not really sure what to do..." Hunk's voice sounded over the radio, his words rapid and garbled.

"Hunk, I need you to speak clearly, okay? I can't hear you." Shiro responded, speaking into the radio.

"We're having a bit of a problem right now, it's a- well, it's a long story, but-" Hunk said, still speaking quickly, before Shiro cut him off.

"Hunk! Slow down. We can't understand what you're saying." Shiro replied. When Hunk began to speak again, his words were quieter and slower.

"Sorry, sorry. Just a little out of breath. Uh, so, Keith might be in a little bit of trouble." He said almost hesitantly. Allura took the radio from Shiro.

"What do you mean, trouble?" Allura said, commandeering their radio.

"Well, basically, we're being chased by a bunch of dudes aren't super happy with us right now. Is there anyone close by, uh, by any chance?" Hunk said, his voice sheepish. Allura glanced at Shiro, eyebrows raised in concern. Without hesitation, Shiro sat up straight, his face serious and all hints of his relaxed state gone. He gave Allura a quick nod, which she returned before speaking into the radio again.

"Where are you two?" She asked. Hunk's voice came back loud and clear.

"We're at Central Park right now! Just- can someone get over here, please? Quickly!?"

**Author's Note:**

> This work was originally posted on Jan. 24, 2017 and will now be posted and updated on here as well. New chapters will start after Chapter 4. Enjoy!


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